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Young Athlete ACL Tears are More Common Than We Wish
As a team doctor for many years, I can assure any athlete that it is worthwhile to devote time and effort to quadriceps strength before your season begins. It is important. The part of the knee called the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, can be particularly vulnerable to injury. According to the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, AOSSM, about 150,000 ACL injuries occur in the United States every year.
The ACL is most often stretched or torn by a sudden twisting motion (for example, when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another). In other words, a planted foot, plus external rotation and valgus stress. Under the wrong stresses your ACL cannot tolerate the stress/strain and it can tear. If that happens, and you feel a pop in your knee or hear a pop, then you should see a sports medicine Orthopaedic surgeon.
This specialist can prove or disprove the hypothesis that you have a torn ACL. It makes sense to see a sports medicine doctor who is a member of AOSSM after such an injury because we dedicate a lot of time to caring for, evaluating and treating athletes with knee injuries. A lot! Visit AOSSM.org to learn more.
Dr. Dave A. Alexander, Jr. (Sports medicine surgeon, Montgomery Bell Academy Team Physician) sees patients at TOA's OneC1TY, Franklin and Clarksville locations.
